Scaled mooring design for hydrodynamic testing of floating wind platforms: Introduction of the Spring Selection Tool
Smith, K; Davey, T; Pillai, AC; et al.Forehand, D; Tao, L
Date: 2024
Conference paper
Publisher
Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE)
Abstract
As the floating offshore wind (FOW) industry approaches commercialisation, the need for representative hydrodynamic tank testing becomes vital to support technological
development and provide confidence prior to field deployment.
The representation of turbines, blades and floaters in scaled tank
tests has been widely studied. However, ...
As the floating offshore wind (FOW) industry approaches commercialisation, the need for representative hydrodynamic tank testing becomes vital to support technological
development and provide confidence prior to field deployment.
The representation of turbines, blades and floaters in scaled tank
tests has been widely studied. However, accurately representing
scaled mooring systems in the tank remains challenging due
to limitations imposed by the facility dimensions and project
time constraints. This paper addresses these challenges firstly by
investigating the relationships between full-scale FOW mooring
system design parameters and their scaled counterparts. Furthermore, a novel spring selection tool (SST) was introduced to
streamline the design of scaled mooring lines in model tests. A
case study of the 1:50 scale mooring design for hydrodynamic
tank testing of the Trivane 15 MW FOW platform demonstrated
how to prioritise and compromise certain mooring parameters for
tank testing, and showcased the SST’s flexibility and efficiency.
Initial results from this case study indicated that the tank
mooring accurately replicated first-order platform motions when
compared to OrcaFlex numerical model predictions. Additionally,
this case study highlighted the importance of incorporating both
the elastic and geometric stiffness components in the tank design
of a semi-taut mooring. The outcomes of this work aim to improve
the robustness of tank mooring design and set-up, contributing
to more accurate and reliable hydrodynamic testing of FOW
platforms.
Engineering
Faculty of Environment, Science and Economy
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